Skilene: Memory Loss
by matthewmspace
Summary: Skipper and Marlene happily just became a couple. Or did they? Are their minds playing tricks on them or not? This is an independent story, no other reading is required, but is merely recommended.
1. Chapter 1 - Panic

Alright, it's time for a second crack at an independent story from "In Our World." Hopefully this goes better than the last one. Of course, I have a lot more experience at writing now, so it probably will be.

So, the usual symbol rules in my bio apply here. _Italics_ means I'm quoting a character, a "(P)" means I'm changing the perspective on the story, and a "*" means notes at the end. The use of any of my OC's is purely coincidental. Let's get started, shall we?

**CHAPTER 1 – Panic**

(P to Marlene) I was dreaming about last night's date with Skipper. All my mind wanted to do was let me experience it over and over. It was so perfect. After years of us wanting to admit to each other our feelings for one another, we finally did. We didn't know why it took us so long, but we were happy we finally did. *

Skipper had picked me up exactly on time. Not a second early and not a second late. Because months earlier we had finally made it so that I could leave the zoo, we had our date in the park.

We had so much fun. We both walked romantically through the park. And I finally had a snow cone. Skipper had given it to me after getting it from the cart. I kept the paper cone to always remember the date.

And Skipper and I finally had our first kiss. I'm a mammal with a mouth. Skipper is a bird with a beak. But we didn't care at all of our different species. We absolutely loved that moment. It was absolutely perfect.

If we didn't have to breathe, we would have kissed until it hurt. It was the first real date of my life. I might have gone out with Fred, but at first I did it for Kowalski. And I didn't hear any Spanish guitar with Fred.

I definitely felt an attraction to Skipper, though. He was smart, strong, and a nice guy. I now understand why someone might think he's too paranoid. He's just trying to keep us all safe. Every single one of us. It really seemed to me that he really wanted to protect me more than anyone else.

I hoped some day we would get married. Not the next day, but in the future, after a few months of dating each other. We could never have children, due to the fact that Otters and Penguins are two different classes of species, but we still loved each other all the same.

Something was telling me to get up, so I did. As I was stirring, I felt something next to me in my bed. I was confused, as I knew it was just me. As I blinked and rubbed my eyes, I saw some black and white. I was confused, but as soon as I regained my vision I literally panicked! Next to me was Skipper!

(P to 3rd person) Upon seeing each other in the bed, the two literally panicked. They quickly jumped out of it to opposite sides of the cave. They were so confused. They had no idea how they wound up there. All they knew that was after their date that they kissed goodnight and went to their own habitats.

Both Marlene and Skipper were slapping themselves, trying to wake up from this horror. But no matter what they did, they were awake. It was not a nightmare. It was the real deal. After 10 minutes, they stopped slapping themselves and looked at each other nervously.

"Skipper?" Marlene asked him nervously. "Marlene?" he asked her nervously. "We went to our own habitats last night. How… how did we end up…" Marlene tried to ask. "I… I don't know," Skipper said. The two sighed; their memories had escaped them.

"Did… did we, you know…" Marlene tried to ask, nervous and slightly afraid. "Do… do you feel… violated?" Skipper asked her, nervously. Skipper was afraid that he had done that crime to Marlene. **

"Well, no. I don't think so. What about you?" Marlene asked him. "I don't feel like that happened either," Skipper said. They sighed with small relief that they hadn't mated on their first date. But were still so confused.

"Did someone prank us?" Marlene asked him. "I don't think so. The Stopwatch, as we told you when we helped clean everything up, is locked away," Skipper said. *** "But if we went to our own habitats, how did we wind up… in the same habitat?" Marlene asked him. "I don't know," Skipper said.

They both let out an exasperated sigh, confused at why they didn't remember. Both wanted the answer to clear this mystery up. "Do you think everyone else knows what happened?" Marlene asked Skipper. "Maybe. But if not, how might they react to us? Our first date was only last night," Skipper said nervously.

Marlene was a bit surprised at Skipper being nervous. But as to just clear this up so that everything can hopefully go back to normal, Marlene stopped thinking about that. "I… I don't know. But maybe you all have a way that we can remember?" Marlene asked, while suggesting.

"We can check the zoo security footage, if we need to," Skipper suggested. "That sounds like a good idea. But how are we supposed to present ourselves to your team?" Marlene asked nervously. "I'm not sure Marlene. For the first time, I don't know what to do," Skipper said.

They let out another sigh. "Well, maybe we should try to act casual. Just act as if you came to wake me up, maybe," Marlene suggested. "That sounds like an excellent plan Marlene," Skipper said, proud of her for coming up with the suggestion. "Thank you Skipper," Marlene said as they walked out of the cave. Both hoped that they would find their answer from everyone else.

That's a wrap on this chapter. Ooh, this is a fun mystery. How will it play out? Please rate and review this first chapter. I've got a few notes.

* As this is not my "In Our World" series, they have no idea that our world exists. But I'm sticking to the motif that our world interfered with their Skilene.

** You probably know what that crime is, but I want to keep the rating down.

*** Referencing "Time Out" with the Stopwatch. We don't know what happened to Marlene, but since she was paused, Julien probably stuck gum to her as well.


	2. Chapter 2 - Wait, What?

Welcome to the 2nd chapter of this story. Do you like it so far? Let's develop this story more, shall we?

**CHAPTER 2 – Wait, What?**

(P to Marlene) I was nervous as Skipper and I walked out of my habitat to his. We both had no idea how we both wound up in my habitat. We had kissed goodnight and had gone our separate ways for the night. "How could we possibly have wound up sharing a bed?!" I thought to myself.

(P to Skipper) I was more nervous now than even in my military career. Even though I explicitly remembered taking Marlene home from our date, having our fist kiss, and then going to the HQ, somehow I had moved! Into Marlene's personal and private bed! That is a serious no-no!

(P to 3rd person) Both of the two looked at each other nervously on the platform in the Penguins' habitat. They were afraid of what everyone else might think. The two inexplicably both wound up in Marlene's habitat, in her bed, and had no idea how that happened. But both of them needed to know. They opened the hatch and dropped down.

(P to Marlene) When we dropped down below, everyone was here, which we expected. After all, the guys don't go anywhere without their leader unless he sent them on a mission. "Ah, good morning you two. Did you sleep well?" Kowalski asked us. "Wait a second, you're not surprised we both came from my habitat?" I asked him. Everyone looked at us curiously.

"What do you mean Marlene? Are you alright?" Private asked me. "I think so. We're both just terribly confused," I said, speaking of myself and Skipper. "At what?" the three asked us curiously. "How did we both end up in my habitat? More specifically, in my…" I said, before trailing off, fearing this again.

"We're your friends Marlene. We'll try to help you, as we always do," Private said cheerfully. I smiled at him. "Thank you Private, for the encouragement," I said to him. "You're welcome Marlene," Private said to me.

"So how did we both wind up in my bed?" I asked the three. They got even more curious. Kowalski grabbed his clipboard. "Let's try to retrace your steps. What was the last thing that happened to you?" Kowalski asked us.

"The last thing I remember was coming back to the HQ, after taking Marlene back home," Skipper said. "That's the last thing I remember too," I added. "Where were you before that happened?" Private asked us. Now we were curious at the three. "You men don't remember?" Skipper asked them.

"No. What was it?" Kowalski asked us. "It was our first date," I said happily. My heart danced at remembering the glorious day before. "After years of us somehow unable to admit our feelings, we finally did. You don't remember me telling you that?" Skipper asked them.

"Oh we certainly do Skipper. We remember being so happy you finally did. But you don't remember anything else?" Private asked us curiously. Skipper and I sighed. "We don't. Is this a trick of Blowhole's?" I asked the three. *

"Marlene, you of all people should know that Blowhole's been defeated for years," Kowalski said, surprised. "But I'm not trained! With X and Kuchikukan, I just guessed those moves!" I exclaimed. ** "That might have been the case then, but I can assure you, you're trained in the art of combat," Kowalski said.

"Try me," I said, determined to make a point. "Very well Marlene. Please try to block these simple punches," Kowalski said. The guys got into fighting positions on the other side of the room. They tried to do a punch, with full strength. But somehow I blocked every single one!

We stopped after a few minutes. "How did I do that? I want the blindfold test!" I exclaimed, still trying to make a point. "OK, Marlene," Kowalski said. "Rico, could we please have five bamboo sticks and a blindfold?" Private asked him. *** "Yup," Rico said, before releasing them.

"Now I can try to finally make my point," I said, putting on the blindfold. I picked up the bamboo stick from the floor and got ready to probably be whacked. I knew it would hurt slightly, but I would finally make my point. "Ready Marlene?" Skipper asked me. "Absolutely Skipper," I said to him.

Suddenly, all thought left me except for my survival instincts. Somehow I was feeling the vibrations on the floor of everyone running at me, the sounds of everyone charging, and the bamboo sticks hitting each other. Whenever someone came at me, I used my bamboo stick to deflect theirs.

Suddenly, my instincts got honed in even more and I used my force to fling everyone into their bunks! I heard them land in their bunks, along with the vibrations through the floor and walls. I took off my blindfold and was shocked. I had done it! Somehow, I had defended myself against everyone!

"How?! How do I not remember being trained, but I still can pull that off?!" I exclaimed, confused. "It must be ingrained in your subconscious Marlene," Kowalski said. "But, still, how?" Skipper asked the three. "Now you really should know Skipper. After all, you were the one that personally trained Marlene," Kowalski said.

"When? Our first date as last night!" Skipper and I exclaimed, panicked. "We're not exactly how sure to explain it to you," Private said, as the three rubbed their feet against the floor nervously. "Men, I order you to tell us," Skipper said, using his power as the leader of his team.

"Yes, Skipper," they all said, saluting him. "Yes?" I asked them curiously. "You might want to sit down for this," Private said to us cautiously. We both went to the table and sat down on a seat. "We're ready," Skipper and I said to the three.

"Skipper and Marlene. We don't know how to exactly explain this to you, but your first date was not simply last night. While you did return to your individual habitats, that was not last night," Kowalski said. "How long ago?" Skipper and I asked nervously. "It was nearly six years ago," Private said nervously.

Skipper and I freaked out even more. Our date wasn't last night! "How could that possibly be nearly six years? I vividly remember that, but nothing else!" I exclaimed, freaking out! The three sighed. "Marlene. Skipper. It has really been almost six years. In fact, it'll be six years next month," Kowalski said.

Both of us were astonished. "Do you have any proof?" Skipper asked the three. Private pulled down a giant calendar. The month at the top read August 2019. "Wait, how can I read?!" I asked, panicked more. "You don't remember that either? We all taught you after you and Skipper started to date," Kowalski said.

Skipper and I were even more shocked. "Anyone can print a calendar. Where is more proof?" Skipper asked the three. The guys nodded at Rico and he released two rings at us. When I opened my paw after I caught the ring that was launched at me, it had a diamond!

"We're married?!" Skipper and I asked the two, now even in a deeper shock, if it were possible. "Yes, for a over five years. In March 2014, to be exact," Kowalski said. "These could be anyone's!" both Skipper and I exclaimed, trying to refute this still. "Read the inscriptions in the rings," Private said to us, carefully.

Mine read: _To Marlene, The Otter That I Love._ Skipper and I compared each other's and swapped rings. His read: _To Skipper, The Penguin That I Love_. We swapped them back after looking at each other in shock and panic, yet love. We nervously tried our rings on.

"It's a nice fit," I said. The ring perfectly fit onto my ring digit. And it looked beautiful. It perfectly matched my fur, even as a diamond. "It should. After all, you, Skipper, searched for weeks for the rings," Kowalski said. "How is mine engraved then? I wouldn't engrave a ring to myself," Skipper said.

"You both engraved it sometime on your honeymoon, as you told us," Private said. "But how could animals afford these?" I asked the three. "It took many, many sardine cans," Kowalski reported. **** I imagined many piles of sardine cans in a jewelry store. And, of course, a news report on them.

"That's good that we paid for them then," Skipper and I said calmly. We were still in deep shock. "If you need more proof, look at that wall," Kowalski said to us, expecting that we would ask for more proof. Skipper and I turned towards the wall and saw four new bunks that we didn't remember.

"Four bunks? So I've got a bunk? But who's in the other three bunks?" I asked the three. "Interesting. You don't remember them either," Kowalski said. "Remember who?" Skipper and I asked.

A beeping noise went off, sending both Skipper and I into fighting positions. "Oh, good, they're back from the snack mission that you assigned them," Private said. We got out of our fighting positions. "Again, who?" we asked him. "You're about to get your answer," Kowalski said.

And that's where I shall end this chapter. Ooh, cliffhangers! Please rate and review this chapter. I've got more notes today.

* Remember, Marlene finally believed in Blowhole after "The Return Of The Revenge Of Dr. Blowhole."

** Referencing both "Snowmageddon" and "Operation Lunacorn Apocalypse."

*** Referencing "The Hidden" where those were used to train the Penguins for relying on their instincts.

**** Referencing "Most Dangerous Game Night" where Kowalski, Maurice, and Mort paid for the snacks at the Snackitarium with sardine cans.


	3. Chapter 3 - Family

Alright, let's solve that cliffhanger, shall we? This'll be fun. Time to read!

**CHAPTER 3 – Family**

(P to Emily) "That went really well," Annabelle said to me. "It really did. I'm glad we get more time to bond, even after all these years," I said. "Well, you are our Aunt," Samuel said to me. We laughed. It'd been over two years since I had been transferred from Monterey to New York.

Little did I expect to reunite with my sister after all those years. It had, at that point, almost 9 years since I had seen Marlene. So much had changed for her. She had found a husband and had children. I was a little confused at first about that, but I loved my niece and nephew all the same. *

(P returning to Marlene) Skipper and I got ready to meet whoever the guys had been talking about to us. We both wanted to know who owned the new bunks. Well, new to us, at least. Finally, through the _Private's First Prize_ door, three animals walked in. Two Otters and one Penguin, specifically.

"Good morning," they said to us. "Good morning," we all replied. I couldn't help but notice that one of the Otters looked familiar, but couldn't put my paw on it. But I knew them from somewhere.

"So we've got the supplies from our snack run. Thanks for assigning us that duty," the taller Otter said to Skipper and I. "No problem," we replied. Skipper and I kept trying and failing to identify any of the three animals.

"Well?" they asked us. "Well what?" Skipper and I asked curiously. "You're not going to ask if we had any problems?" the Penguin asked us. "Did you?" we asked him. By his voice, we could tell he was a male. "You're acting strange this morning. But, no, we had a very uneventful snack run and got everything on the list," the smaller Otter said. It wasn't hard for Skipper and I to identify that both Otters were girls.

"So are they bringing any memories back?" Kowalski asked Skipper and I. "Not exactly. But what are your names?" I asked the three. They looked at us curiously. "I'm Emily," the taller Otter said, with a curious tone. "I'm Annabelle," the smaller Otter said, also curiously. "And I'm Samuel," the Penguin said curiously.

"And how did you become part of our group?" we asked the three curiously. "Let me think. Oh, yeah. Maybe it's because I'm your sister?" Emily said to me. "Wait a minute. Emily? After all this time? Is it really you?" I asked her. Was it really Emily? My little sister? I hadn't seen her in almost 11 years, if the calendar was real.

"Of course it's me. You saw me just 12 hours ago," Emily said, still curiously. "12 hours? It's been almost 11 years!" I exclaimed. "Kowalski, what did you do to them?" Annabelle asked him. "Nothing! They just woke up and came here, not remembering a thing since their first date," Kowalski said, a little defensively.

Wait, you don't remember us, Mom and Dad?" Samuel and Annabelle asked us. Upon that, Skipper and I went into full-blown panic mode again. We slapped each other, thinking we maybe were asleep again, but were still awake. But suddenly, we both blacked out from a knockout bomb.

(P to Emily) "Are you sure that was the only way to calm them down?" I asked Kowalski. We all had gas masks on while we waited for the gas to dissipate. "I'm afraid so," Kowalski said, somewhat sad. "But what's wrong with Mom and Dad?" Annabelle and Samuel asked everyone.

"We don't know. But to them, somehow, their first date was yesterday. That means they don't remember anything from he last nearly six years since then," Kowalski said. "They don't remember any of us?" Samuel asked him. "Sorry Samuel, but it appears not," Kowalski said.

"If there's at least one thing I expect my sister to remember, it's being pregnant and having Pengotters. And another thing is us finally reuniting! How does she not remember me! We're sisters!" I exclaimed, sad that my sister somehow didn't remember me. The gas dissipated, so we took off the gas masks.

"We really don't know. And I don't know how to rebuild their memories," Kowalski said sadly. We all sighed. "Hey, you used your camera and tripod to film their wedding. Could that jog that memory?" I asked him, after a few minutes. "Maybe Emily. That's a good suggestion," Private said to me. "Thank you," I said proudly.

(P to Marlene, moments later) "Kowalski, Rico, and Private, you're getting maintenance duty tomorrow, for using that knockout bomb on us," Skipper said to them. "Very well Skipper. But we think we have a way for you to try and remember everything," Kowalski said to us. "We're going to show you your wedding video!" Private exclaimed happily.

Skipper and I once again looked at each other, nervous, yet excited. "A wedding video," both Skipper and I said calmly, falling into a bit of shock again. "Do you have popcorn?" I asked everyone. "Even with not remembering anything, you still want your popcorn," Emily said to me. I blushed. "Well, to me, I haven't had any popcorn in nearly six years," I said nervously.

Samuel and Annabelle went up above and got us all popcorn. "Thank you," I said to them. "You're welcome Mom," they said cautiously. It took Skipper and I all our mights not to freak out again. With that, Kowalski plugged his camera into the TV and Skipper and I began watching our wedding video.

I was in shock at how I didn't remember marrying Skipper. The wedding looked beautiful, though. All of our friends were there. Emily was not there, though, so she was probably transferred later.

** Becky and Stacy were my bridesmaids. Private was Skipper's best man. Kowalski was the one who wed us. My dress looked beautiful. It was almost pure white and matched my fur color perfectly. My tail poked out on the ground. Skipper and I said our vows. He put my ring, the one I was wearing right now, onto my digit.

We both said, "I do" to each other. Skipper and I, right now, were I absolute shock. How could we not remember this day! It must have been the happiest day of our lives and we didn't remember a thing! It was really sad that I didn't remember my own wedding!

(P to after the video ended) "How do we not remember our own wedding?!" Skipper and I exclaimed. We were both trying to comprehend what we just saw. Kowalski pressed a button on the control panel and out popped a drawer. "We don't know. But in that drawer is your dress sis," Emily said to me, still cautious.

Skipper and I nervously walked over to the drawer. Inside was a wedding dress! It was beautiful! It perfectly matched by brown and white fur. It had a simplistic design, but not too simplistic. I put it on and Rico hacked up a mirror. I was still in shock, looking at myself.

(P to Skipper) Marlene had put on her wedding dress. The one she had worn for the wedding we didn't even remember. But she looked absolutely beautiful. It perfectly matched her fur colors. If only we could both remember the wedding!

(P to Marlene) "Skipper, what…. How do I look?" I asked him. I was slightly nervous, as this was our same mystery. "Marlene, I wish we could both remember the first time I saw you in that dress. But since this is the first time for us, you look beautiful," Skipper said to me. We both wanted to kiss, but wanted to figure out the rest of the mystery first.

"It really is a nice dress. I have good clothing shopping skills," I said, running my paw through the fabric. It wasn't irritating me at all, surprisingly. For some reason, it felt natural to be in my dress! But animals don't wear clothes! Skipper and I were still terribly confused.

"So Emily, how did you wind up here?" I asked her. I saw sadness in her eyes. She was sad that I didn't remember that day. "It was a little over two years ago. I was transferred from our old aquarium to here one day," she said.

"Did we arrange that transfer?" Skipper asked the original three. "Actually, we did not. But I can assure you, Alice transferred your sister here," Kowalski said. Everyone then told us what had happened on that day.

(Flashback 3rd-person P) "A new Otter is being transferred here!" Marlene exclaimed afraid. "And it doesn't say if it's a boy or girl," Skipper added, nervously. The two were terrified that, if it were a male, that they would be thrown into a breeding program to Marlene!

"When is the new Otter coming? Can we stop it?" Annabelle and Samuel asked, wanting to protect their parents. Both of them were hugging their parents, not wanting their marriage to be threatened.

They all tried any way to see if they could stop the transfer, in case it were a male, but since the Otter was already enroute, they couldn't. "Please don't be a male. Please don't be a male," everyone thought to themselves, panicked. "When is the new Otter coming?" Marlene asked nervously.

Suddenly, they all heard Alice's footsteps coming from in the hall and hid. Alice sat down at the computer, which was on its screensaver. "I almost forgot about the new Otter. Hey, when is the Otter arriving?" Alice asked into her walkie talkie to her assistant. "Actually, Alice, it's about to come any minute," the assistant replied.

The set of hidden family and friends were absolutely terrified at the prospect of the Otter coming and it being a male. Alice groaned to herself. "Let's get ready to put it in the habitat. It should make for a nice new friend for our two Otters. Is it a male or female?" Alice asked her assistant. "Actually, it's a…" the assistant started to reply before Alice left and closed the door behind her.

"No! Come back Alice! The information wasn't on the computer!" Marlene exclaimed, panicked. Skipper kissed his wife, while their children hugged their mother comfortingly. But even still, all four were terrified that their family might be threatened by a male.

After they had calmed Marlene down, everyone jumped through the window to the Otter habitat, going into the cave. Seconds after they arrived, they started to hear Alice's voice. "There you go. Enjoy your new colony," Alice said sarcastically. No one heard the crate being opened, but they did hear Alice leave.

After she left, they all walked nervously out of the cave. "Kowalski, where has this come from?" Skipper asked his lieutenant. "It would appear that this new Otter has come from Monterey, just like you did Marlene," Kowalski said to her. "Please… open it," Marlene said nervously.

Rico hacked a crowbar and the guys opened the crate. Inside was a sleeping Otter. They sighed with relief when they saw it was a girl. Her fur was darker than Marlene's and she appeared to be shorter than Marlene as well. She had no white paws. Suddenly, the Otter started to stir.

"Hello," Marlene said cheerfully. "Hello. Who are you all? Where am I?" the Otter asked everyone curiously. They all told the new Otter their names and that she was now in New York. "So what is your name?" Marlene asked curiously. "I'm Emily," she said.

Marlene's interest was immediately piqued. "Emily? I have an odd question, but do you have a sister named Marlene?" she asked. "I do. Well, I did until they were transferred to…" Emily said before the two realized what had happened.

"Sis!" both Marlene and Emily exclaimed happily to each other, giving each other a hug. The two sisters had finally been reunited after almost 9 years. "Oh, sis, I'm so happy to see you again!" Emily exclaimed to Marlene. "I am too. It's been too long," Marlene replied.

(P to present-day Marlene) "And that's how we reunited sis," Emily said to me. I was so frustrated with myself at not remembering my own sister! "I'm so sorry I don't remember that!" I exclaimed, very apologetically. Of all the people to forget, my own sister!

She walked over to me and gave me a big hug. "Marlene. I don't know why you don't remember anything, but you're still my sister. And I'm here now. And thanks to you all, actually, we're not going to be separated again," Emily said to me. Skipper and I looked at her curiously.

"What do you mean?" we asked her. "Well, after I got here, you put me in here as a permanent resident. Just like all of you, we can't ever be transferred," Emily said to me cheerfully. "That's great!" I exclaimed to her, giving her another hug.

"But we still do have more questions," Skipper and I said. "You do need to be brought back into speed. What are your next questions?" Kowalski asked us. "How could we have children?" we asked everyone.

And that's where I'll end the chapter. Yay, cliffhangers! How'd you like the chapter? Please rate and review it. I've got a few notes today.

* Obviously, it's a different plot for how Emily got to the zoo in this story, because no one knows about our world. There's no prophecy.

** Yup, same style of wedding as the one in _In Our World, Book 2_.


	4. Chapter 4 - Strange Children

Time for chapter 4. And today is the 1-year anniversary of my writing! Cool! It's all come a long way since Ultra-Feral. Now let's help Skipper and Marlene more, shall we?

**CHAPTER 4 – Strange Children**

"Well, we're actually still confused at that, even to this date," Kowalski said. "How old are you two?" Skipper and I asked Samuel and Annabelle. "We're both just over five years old. Our birthday was at the end of June," Samuel said. "All this in six years," Skipper and I said, in shock again.

"Could you, err, restrain us?" Skipper asked everyone. "Please?" I added. We both asked for that because we knew we would probably freak out again. "If you wish," Emily said, pressing a button on the control panel. The wall with the TV flipped around and out of instinct, Skipper and I jumped into fighting positions.

It must have been from our battle with Blowhole that we also failed to remember. "Relax, Mom and Dad. You've said you both defeated that dolphin," Annabelle said to us, trying to calm us down. We calmed ourselves down and placed ourselves into the locks. They worked, preventing us from moving. But since we knew we were with friends and family, we didn't panic.

"Thank you for calming us down," I said to Annabelle. "It's no trouble at all Mom," Annabelle said cheerfully, trying to not set us into a panic. Skipper and I fought with all our might to not freak out and we didn't. "So how did we have children?" Skipper asked everyone.

"Was it through an invention of yours Kowalski? We're a mammal and a bird, after all," I said. "Well, actually, it wasn't through an invention. Or any outside forces. Even I still don't know how. * After your wedding, you two went on your honeymoon. When you came back, you started to experience strange symptoms Marlene," Kowalski said.

(Flashback POV)

"Kowalski, what's wrong with me?" Marlene asked him. Skipper and Marlene had just dropped into the HQ, trying to figure out what was happening to Marlene. "What do you mean Marlene?" Kowalski asked her.

"I don't know. I've been behaving strangely. I've been having cramps, I'm puking randomly in the morning, and I've been eating a lot more than my share of food. Look, my stomach is growing," she said, pointing to it.

"I've been trying to exercise off the food, but no matter what, I'm still growing," Marlene said. Kowalski was writing on his clipboard what Marlene was telling him. "About when did this start?" Kowalski asked her. "It started about two weeks ago," Marlene explained.

Suddenly, her face scrunched up and she cried out in pain, falling off her seat at the table onto the floor. Skipper was trying his best to comfort her. Marlene looked at him in tears of pain and confusion. "What had happened to her?" they both wondered to themselves.

Finally, after a few moments, Marlene's pain went away. She was so scared, and Skipper hugged her. Marlene buried her face into Skipper's feathers, hugging him, so confused and afraid. After a few minutes, Marlene stopped, but continued to cling to Skipper. "See Kowalski! That happens every so often!" Marlene exclaimed, panicked.

Kowalski was still taking notes. "I see Marlene. So it started a month after you returned from your honeymoon, since that was a month before you told me this started? "Yes Kowalski. But what does that have to do with Marlene's pain?" Skipper asked him.

"I could go use Alice's computer to figure out what these symptoms are and what's causing them," Kowalski offered the two. "That sounds like a good plan Kowalski. Thank you," Marlene said to him. "You are welcome Marlene," Kowalski said to her.

(P to when Kowalski returned) "So Kowalski, what's up with me? What did you learn?" Marlene asked him, curious. "Well, first let me ask you a few questions. Skipper, you are a bird, correct?" Kowalski asked him. Skipper scoffed. "Yes, I'm a bird Kowalski. I've got a beak, feathers, and flippers, after all," he said.

"Very well. And you Marlene, you're a mammal right?" Kowalski asked her. She also scoffed. "Yes, Kowalski. I've got a mouth, fur, and paws," Marlene said. "I think you two just eliminated that barrier," Kowalski said. "What barrier?" both of them asked curiously. "No children," Kowalski answered.

Both Skipper and Marlene laughed. "Oh, Kowalski. You know a bird and a mammal cannot have children. After all, Penguins lay eggs and Otters give birth," Marlene said. Kowalski just was in shock. He was running the math on his clipboard of how this was even possible.

"Err, Kowalski? A response please?" Marlene asked him. Kowalski just acted like the two weren't even there, just working out the math on page after page. "Kowalski. We both know that even though we're two classes of species, we can mate. We did that. But that should not have worked," Marlene said. Still no response came from Kowalski.

Marlene and Skipper looked at each other before both looking at Marlene's belly. "Wow. Just wow," the two said to each other. "We're going to have a baby Skipper," Marlene said happily after a minute. "Yes, it would appear so Marlene," Skipper said happily to her.

They both placed a flipper and paw on Marlene's belly. "There's a baby inside of me," Marlene said to Skipper happily. "There's no one on Earth I would want to have a child with than you," Skipper said to her. They kissed in a big embrace. Both of them were now extremely excited. They had defied the laws of nature and were going to have a child of their very own.

Suddenly, both of them felt something from inside of Marlene. They curiously looked at her belly. "What was that Skipper?" Marlene asked him. "I don't know. And Kowalski's still doing the math," Skipper said to her. Sure enough, Kowalski was still running the math.

Suddenly, they felt that disturbance from inside of Marlene again. "I think that was a kick Skipper," Marlene said happily to him. "A kick. Our child kicked," Skipper said. They kissed again. ** There was no denying it now. Soon they would become parents.

(P to present day Marlene) "Wow. Just wow. But what happened when I had them?" I asked the original three. "It was very strange. Of course, your children are an interesting crossbreed," Kowalski said. "Thank you Kowalski. And with that, we'll go above until you're done talking about that," Annabelle said to him.

"What do you mean?" I asked her. She and Samuel really were our little girl and boy. I was so happy, yet still so confused. "Well, you've said that moment would scar us for a long time. We don't want to be scarred like that, so we'll wait up above," Samuel said. Skipper and I chuckled. "Well, go ahead. We'll tell you when you can come down without being scarred," Skipper said to our children.

"Thank you Mom and Dad. Sorry that you're still chained up, though," Annabelle said to us. "It's for ours and your safety. And you three no longer have to do maintenance duty tomorrow," Skipper said to Private, Kowalski, and Rico. "Thank you Skipper," they all said as our two children climbed out of the hatch.

(P to flashback view again) "Kowalski, what do I… Ahhh!" Marlene screamed, in labor. It had been three months, as everyone calculated, since she had gotten pregnant. Now, she and Skipper were about to become parents. "In my research, it never came up for both an Otter and a Penguin. But for Otters, help your child and push," Kowalski instructed her.

They were all out in the park, under the effects of the Stopwatch. A few weeks earlier, Marlene had gone feral at Skipper and to prevent that for the child, they were going to have it in the park. *** Marlene was in excruciating pain as she pushed. As soon as the baby was out, she, Skipper, and the child would be a full-fledged family.

After a few minutes, Marlene finally did it. "Err, Kowalski, I thought Otters give birth?" Skipper asked him. "What do you…" Marlene started to ask everyone before seeing Skipper holding an egg! **** "I'm just… what the… how is that…" Marlene struggled to say.

The egg was much larger than Penguin eggs usually were. Kowalski took photos of the egg, for science. Suddenly, it started to crack. After a few minutes, the egg was fully open. The baby cried with all its might. But it was not a Penguin. It was an Otter! "What the… Otters are live-born! Not in eggs!" Marlene and Skipper exclaimed, confused.

Suddenly, Marlene was in pain again. "Kowalski, what's happening?" Skipper asked him. "You might have another child," Kowalski said to both him and Marlene. Marlene went through that process again. Suddenly, instead of a silent egg, both of them heard crying as Skipper held another baby. It was not an Otter! It was a Penguin!

"What?!" both Marlene and Skipper exclaimed, in even more shock. Both of their strange children were crying, having just been hatched and born. Marlene took the little Otter from Skipper, while he held the Penguin.

"What do you want to name them Skipper?" Marlene asked him. "Do you have any suggestions? You've said you've always wanted a daughter and she was the first bo- err, hatched," Skipper said. Marlene thought for a moment. "How about Annabelle?" Marlene asked her husband.

Upon hearing that, the little Otter stopped crying and looked at her parents with big, wide, and innocent eyes. Marlene and Skipper were still in shock of their children. "Do you think she likes that name Skipper?" Marlene asked her husband.

"She stopped crying. And that's a beautiful name for our daughter," Skipper said proudly. Their little Penguin, identified as a boy, was still crying.

"Annabelle. My strange, little Annabelle," Marlene said happily to the little girl. Annabelle smiled at her mother, having been named. "What do you want to name our son? You've said you've always wanted a boy," Marlene asked Skipper. He thought for a moment. "How about Samuel?" Skipper asked his wife.

Just like with Annabelle, the little Penguin stopped crying at hearing a name. "He seems to like it Skipper," Marlene said happily. "He sure seems to. So Samuel is the name for our son," Skipper said proudly. Samuel smiled at his father. "Samuel. Our strange, little boy," Skipper said.

(P to present day Emily) Skipper and Marlene had just fainted in shock right in the middle of Kowalski's retelling of the arrival of the children. "Kowalski, are the smelling salts in the usual place?" I asked him.

"Yes Emily, they are," he replied. "Thank you," I said to him. I went into the lab and from one of the cabinets, grabbed a smelling salt each for my sister and brother. Then I cracked it under their noses and they woke back up.

(P to Marlene) "Proof! We demand proof!" Skipper and I exclaimed, trying to deny that our children had come into the world the opposite of what we had expected. "Well, I did take photos of the egg," Kowalski said. "You left that out of the retelling?" Skipper asked him. "It wasn't essential at the time, but I shall get them now," Kowalski replied.

"Thank you," Skipper and I said to Kowalski before his disappeared into the lab. When he returned, he had a folder filled with notes and photographs. Sure enough, there was an egg! Skipper and I looked through the folder, seeing the process of the egg cracking in Skipper's flippers. And Annabelle had come out of the egg!

We were absolutely speechless. We could not believe it at all. It was so hard to comprehend. Not only did we have children, but our Otter-looking daughter had come out of an egg that had grown inside of me, while our Penguin-looking son had been live-born from me! Kowalski took the folder and locked it away in the lab.

We were still in absolute shock when he returned moments later. We weren't even blinking. We were just staring straight in front of us. We literally were having so much trouble comprehending what everyone had just told us.

After 10 minutes, we snapped out of it. "Wow. I mean just, you know, wow," Skipper and I said. "We understand. After all, when you told me, I reacted the same way as you are right now," Emily said to us. "But how can I not remember that?" I asked everyone. "How do we not remember Annabelle in an egg and Samuel as a live-born Penguin?" Skipper asked everyone.

They all sighed. "We don't know. I don't think we'll ever know," Emily said sadly. "Do… do they know how they were, err, hatched and born?" I asked the four. Samuel and Annabelle were still above. "Actually, yes. They also were surprised when you told them," Private said to us.

"We can imagine. Well, it's safe for them to come down now," I said. "I agree. Let's go get our children," Skipper said. We were both released from our holding panel. After rubbing our feet, paws, and flippers for a few seconds, we opened up the hatch.

"Annabelle? Samuel?" we asked them. "Yes, Mom and Dad?" they asked us. "It's safe for you to come back down," Skipper said to them. "Do you remember us now?" Samuel and Annabelle asked us as we went back down. "No. But you're our children. No matter what, we will always love our strange children," Skipper and I both said to them.

We gave them both big hugs. Skipper and I, even though we didn't remember it, had mated and had children as a result. Our lives had changed so much in nearly six years. But why did we still not remember anything? "This is just… strange. All of it. The memory loss, being married, having children, you being transferred here Emily…" I said, trailing off.

It was just so strange. It was like our memories had been reset. But what did it? It wasn't Blowhole, as everyone said. But what? "We understand. It's just that we don't know why you don't remember either," Emily said to me. "Kowalski, what have you invented recently?" Skipper asked him. "Actually, it's been a few months since I last invented anything Skipper," Kowalski answered.

Well, there went that theory. Skipper and I sighed, with both frustration and sadness. We had forgotten everything. Defeating Blowhole, our wedding, our honeymoon, the children, Emily returning, and probably more. "I think I just… need to take a walk and process this all," I said. "I do as well," Skipper said.

"Of course. This is a lot to take in. But we'll be waiting for you here when you get back," Emily said to us comfortingly. I tried to do my best smile at her. "Thank you sis," I said to her. "You are welcome Marlene," she said to me. With that, Skipper and I climbed up the ladder to get some air and try to process this all.

Another cliffhanger. But how was the chapter? Please rate and review it. I've got notes today, as usual.

* Obviously, since they have not come to our world, the substance from the _In Our World_ stories that first appeared in _Book 1_ is not there. So pure luck this time.

** Different than in _Pengotter Pregnancy_, but still fun.

*** Referencing _Pengotter Pregnancy_ again. That happened in one of the chapters of the story. It's a good plot device.

**** Obviously, very different than at the end of _Pengotter Pregnancy_. Both of the children were live-born, not in eggs. I thought here, it would be more fun to make Annabelle hatch, especially since Skipper and Marlene don't remember it.


	5. Chapter 5 - Acceptance

Welcome to the 5th chapter of this story. Let's get back to it, shall we?

**CHAPTER 5 – Acceptance**

(P remaining with Marlene) Skipper and I closed the hatch after we came out of the HQ. We were in such a different mindset than before we had gone down. We hadn't been in bed after the first date. We had been married for over five years.

"Skipper…" I said to him nervously. "Marlene…" he said to me nervously. "Do you want to go to the park, where we can focus better?" I asked him. "If you want to, I agree," Skipper said to me. We were both so terribly confused.

(P to the park) Skipper and I had sat down at the pond in the park, on the shore. We looked at our reflections in the water. We were now very different than what we last remembered. Instead of merely being boyfriend and girlfriend on our first date, we were married, with children.

We both sighed with not remembering everything. "What do you want to talk about first?" I asked Skipper. "Would you like to start at the beginning of today?" Skipper asked me cautiously. "I think that's a good idea," I said. We both sat in silence, trying to figure out what to say.

We both sighed sadly. We had forgotten a large and very important time in our lives. We didn't have the memory of our marriage, my pregnancy with our children, and Emily being transferred here. It was very depressing.

I spoke up after a moment. "At least we know how we wound up in my habitat," I said, trying to be optimistic. I tried to smile, but failed. "Yes, Marlene. At least we know how that happened. And most importantly, that it was not an invasion into your personal space," Skipper said.

"I definitely agree. It was not an invasion and therefore not an attack. We must have, the true last night, wanted to be alone. But hopefully not for that reason," I said. "We both don't feel like anything happened, so probably not," Skipper said. "I think we wouldn't do that within, you know, earshot," I said. We both laughed, finally. "Yes, Marlene, I'm sure of that," Skipper said.

"The marriage next?" I asked Skipper, after a moment. "Yes, Marlene. It looked beautiful. Especially you, in your dress," Skipper said to me. "Thank you. And this is a gorgeous ring," I said, looking at it. "The ring and your dress really do match you perfectly," Skipper said to me.

"They really did. I'm glad we kept the dress as well. I might wear it sometimes, but only when we're in the HQ. And especially not above where Alice or any human could see me in it. That would immediately blow our cover," I said. We both looked wide-eyed at each other when I said one of Skipper's usual lines.

"We must really have been getting a lot like each other, since you said that. And you, during the combat tests, fought just as well as I do," Skipper said to me. "I wish I remembered how I knew that. But at least I don't have to be retrained," I said. "Yes, even though everyone says we defeated Blowhole," Skipper said to me.

"I wonder if that was before or after the marriage and the arrival of our children. Probably before though, is my best guess," I said. "Maybe once we defeated Blowhole, we felt it was safe for us to get married," Skipper suggested. "You're probably right," I said.

"So, the children?" Skipper asked me cautiously, yet caringly, after a minute. "I think that's only logical," I said. "If there's one thing I except both of us to remember, it's us managing to have children," Skipper said. "I know. We're both different classes of species. A bird and a mammal," I said.

"Kowalski not knowing how really surprises me. He knows nearly everything," I said. "And he said it wasn't through an invention of his. How do a bird and mammal even have children? It defies all the laws of nature," Skipper said to me.

"I know. I can understand mating, sort of. We probably had to figure out our separate mating rituals, whatever they are," I said. "I agree. But since Annabelle and Samuel were created, we must have figured out whatever they are," Skipper said to me.

"How did I even get pregnant with an egg though? I understand some of my biology, but Annabelle being inside of an egg in me, and being hatched?" I questioned. "I know. And Samuel was born. They came into the world through the opposite ways of usual Otters and Penguins," Skipper said.

"What species are our children? What are some combinations of Penguin and Otter?" I asked Skipper. "Otenguins?" I suggested. "Guinotts?" Skipper suggested. "Pengotters?" I suggested. Skipper thought for a moment. "I think out of those three, Pengotters sounds the most, if we can even say that, natural," Skipper said.

"I agree with you there. Pengotters. What do you think the personalities of our children are like?" I asked Skipper. "What are our traits? Surely we passed them down," Skipper said. "You've said I was cute and naïve. Of course, since we've probably trained our children, they're not naïve. That's what you meant, isn't it?" I asked Skipper.

"Yes, Marlene. That is what I meant by naïve. But did you ever catch onto the _cute_ part of that statement?" Skipper asked me. "Only after we admitted our feelings," I answered honestly. "You still are," Skipper said to me. I smiled at him.

"Thank you. So cute is definitely one. What else? You are suspicious of everyone, mostly," I said to Skipper. "Yes, but your trusting of people may have turned that down, somewhat, for the children," Skipper said to me. "Probably. But that helps them in the long run. They must be suspicious, yet trusting. That makes them good at finding out spies," I said.

We were in shock again. "Marlene, you really do sound like me," Skipper said to me. I blushed. "Thank you. And I think it goes deeper than that, even. Did you see the two coffee mugs?" I asked him. "I did. How do you think you got started drinking coffee?" Skipper asked me.

"I don't know. But maybe while I was pregnant, I craved some and couldn't kick that habit," I suggested. We chuckled at imagining me, out of the blue, drinking all the coffee a few times. ** "Yes, Marlene, that probably was the case. What else could have our children picked up from us?" Skipper asked me.

"I am a bit curious. Do you think they picked that up?" I asked Skipper. "My suspicions are curiosity, technically, as well. They must be extremely curious about everything," Skipper suggested. *** "We'll have to watch for that, even though they might have grown out of that. I wish we could remember our children growing up," I said sadly.

"I know Marlene. I do, too. It must have been fun and exciting. And I get the feeling we assigned them maintenance duty a time or two for misbehaving," Skipper said to me. I chuckled. "I'm certain of that as well. I just wish we could remember that too," I said.

We both sighed with sadness again. "So now my sister?" I asked Skipper, after a minute. "Yes, Marlene. So that was an interesting reunion, as they said it was," Skipper said. "I know. But I forgot my own sister and I meeting again after 9 years," I said sadly.

"At least you've finally been reunited. And according to her and everyone else, she's a permanent resident, like us," Skipper said to me, trying to cheer me up. "That's true. I'm glad I finally have met with my sister again. Emily is a great little sister to me," I said happily.

"From what I learned from her and everyone else, she does seem nice. And, obviously we trust her and she helps take care of the kids sometimes. They did go on a snack mission this morning," Skipper said. "Suspicious of my sister, now are you?" I asked Skipper, smirking.

"She could be a spy," Skipper said to me, smirking. We both gloriously laughed again. It felt so great to laugh. It was like a great weight was being lifted off our shoulders, finally. "Finally, we're starting to break free," I said happily. "I know Marlene. And I'm glad for one thing right now," Skipper said to me.

"Oh?" I asked curiously. "Since everyone says that nearly six years have passed since our first date, that means we've always remained a couple," Skipper said. "Through all of the time since we revealed our feelings, we've been in love," I said happily.

"Even though I can't remember anything, I'm glad I'm still with you," Skipper and I said to each other at the same time. We loved saying that at the same time. We puckered our lips and beak and leaned towards each other until we kissed. Skipper was my wonderful husband. He was the father of our children. I loved Skipper so much and never wanted to be separated from him.

(P to Skipper) Marlene and I kissed each other in a big way. We were married. Marlene was my beautiful wife. She was the mother of our children. I loved her so much. I never wanted to be separated from her in the future.

(P back to Marlene) "I love you," Skipper and I said to each other after we split apart for air. As soon as we regained our air, we gloriously kissed again. We just loved each other so much. After doing that a few times more, we stopped.

"Your beak is wonderful to be kissing," I said to Skipper. "As your mouth is wonderful to kiss for me," Skipper said to me. We started walking back to the zoo, paw in flipper. We had accepted our loss of memory.

Even though we didn't remember any of it, to us, it felt like a fun new challenge to learn the aspects of being married with children. We looked forward to this challenge, and to see how we could overcome it.

(P to Emily) "They've been gone an awfully long time," Annabelle said nervously. "Don't worry Annabelle. I'm sure they're on their way back any minute. They would not leave, no matter what happened to them," I said to her. Both she and Samuel smiled. I had cheered them up. I loved being an Aunt to my strange little niece and nephew.

After a few minutes, my prediction was right. Skipper and Marlene had come back. They were smiling. They must have come to terms with their memory loss and embraced it as a challenge. We knew that they loved challenges, so it was now fun for them to overcome it.

(P to Marlene) "How did it go sis?" Emily asked me. Both Skipper and I smiled at everyone. "Our loss of memory is a blessing and a curse. While we may have forgotten everything, we've enjoyed relearning and meeting you all again," Skipper said to everyone.

"Especially you three. You might not be new here, but to us you are. And come here, Annabelle and Samuel," I said to the children. They rushed over to us, giving us big hugs. Skipper and I were so happy that these two were our little girl and little boy. We had managed to have children and they loved us, even though we forgot them. We were a very close family.

"And of course, I would like a hug from, to us at least, my long-separated sister," I said to Emily. She walked over to me and we hugged. I was so glad my sister still was happy that I loved her as my sister, even though I had forgotten her. She was permanently back in my life. We had so much to catch up on, both before she had come here and the part when she was here that I had forgotten.

(P to 3rd-person) Everyone was so happy that Skipper and Marlene returned. In fact, to everyone who remembered, it seemed that their love was even stronger than before. Marlene and Skipper faced their challenge head-on, loving every second of their life. Every single day. No matter what, they loved each other and would never stop loving each other. They were the perfect couple.

And that's where I'll wrap up this side story. Did you like the final chapter today? I'm done with this story, but not writing! Go see the epilogue for details! I've got the final notes of this story here.

* Still not going anywhere near that. But I can drop that in hints if I want to.

** Referencing _Pengotter Pregnancy_ where Marlene did drink all of the coffee.

*** In my _In Our World_ stories, both Annabelle and Samuel are curious. And as seen in _Pengotters: The Early Months_, they have gotten into trouble for that.


	6. Chapter 6 - Epilogue

Welcome to the epilogue for _Memory Loss_. So how'd you like it? Let's get into the nitty gritty, shall we?

So I actually had this idea in my head for awhile, but got around to writing it after I hit a creative slump with _In Our World_. I'm glad I finally got this out, though. So I was writing Book 6 and was stuck, so I made this. It was long after I created Emily, though.

She's another reason I delayed this. I finished this, actually, as I was publishing _In Our World Book 3_ for you guys. I debated whether to publish it at the same time, but wanted to introduce Emily all to you first in _Pengotters: The Early Months_, since in _In Our World_, she has a much bigger role, especially after Book 5.

I was always planning for Annabelle and Samuel to be here, though. I had everything the same (in planning) up until Skipper and Marlene were knockout-bombed. But when I started writing this, I added in Emily. You still like her, right?

So this time I made Samuel and Annabelle born in a strange way. But, hey, I wanted more mystery for Skipper and Marlene. And pure luck was fun, too. So the 5-year timeline was intentional, that way a lot could happen.

So it was also my intention for Skipper and Marlene to be in the same place when they woke up. How many of you thought I went in that certain direction at first? A few, I imagine. But, as I've said before, I won't go near that. That's for other people to write about.

So that's about it for plot, I guess. If you've got any further questions, feel free to ask them. I'll try to answer your questions and put the answers here, too, if you want. Now for the big news.

I've pretty much finished Book 6 at this point, finally. Let me tell you, it's really hard to get out of a slump. But I finally got the plot down. And as a hint, there's a bit of an opportunity for the readers of that series to get involved in one of the chapters. Staying mum until it's out though.

So the first chapter of Book 6 will be released in one week from today, on August 6th. I hope you'll enjoy that story, even though it's honestly a little short. And thank you to all viewers and readers! Enjoy my future stories!

Planning Began: Not Sure, October 2013?

Writing Began: December 10th, 2013

Finished: December 16th, 2013 (with more edits after too)


End file.
